The invention relates generally to a conduit spacer and clamp system for supporting a bank of conduits and, more particularly, to an improved system for supporting a plurality of conduits of different diameters in parallel, spaced relationship using a minimum number of parts.
Conduit spacers are commonly used for supporting a bank of conduits or pipes which may convey fluids or contain electrical power and/or telephone lines. Generally speaking, a plurality of interlocking conduit spacer members combine to form an assembly or system for securely holding conduits in parallel, spaced relationship for reasons to be set forth below. As mentioned, the conduits may be used for carrying electrical lines, and in such installation it is required to maintain minimum spacing between adjacent conduits to insure that the electrical fields do not interfere with each other. Furthermore, the conduits are normally installed in a trench below ground level and subsequently covered with an appropriate filling material such as sand, gravel, or concrete. In such application, it is essential during the filling operation that the conduits be provided with appropriate supporting means to prevent displacement and possible fracture of the conduits and also that they be maintained in a parallel, spaced relationship to permit free flow of the material around the conduits to insure complete encasement thereof.
In many installations it has been advantageous to include different sized conduits, i.e., conduits with different size diameters, within the same system. Various conduit spacers have been developed to effectively maintain separation and support of conduits in a system, although most have been designed for use with only one size conduit. Generally, it is not possible to interconnect the parts used for supporting one size conduit with those of another. Thus, if there is a need to install a conduit, e.g., of small diameter, in a spacer system for supporting large diameter conduits, it is necessary to tie or wire the smaller conduit to the larger spacer, which is time-consuming, therefore adding to the cost of the installation. There have been systems developed to accommodate different size conduits that have worked well but, unfortunately, they require several different parts and thus are time-consuming and difficult to assemble. For the sake of efficiency and economy, it is desirable that the conduit system utilize a minimum number of parts, be made of lightweight, low cost, inert material, and be of a design which is easy to assemble with a minimum of skill.